BA752: File Protection source drive could not be read¶
| Error code | Product | Applies to |
|---|---|---|
| BA752 | BackupAssist | For BackupAssist 15.0.5 or later. |
Description¶
File Protection backs up data by reading files from the source drive through a Windows VSS shadow copy. This provides a consistent, point-in-time view of the data without interrupting running applications.
BA752 is recorded when one or more source file reads failed and no subsequent files were backed up successfully. The job ran to completion but never recovered - every file attempted from the point of failure also failed. This indicates a storage-layer failure rather than a single file access problem.
Common causes:
- Bad sectors on the source drive - the storage driver exhausts its internal retries and returns a read error to BackupAssist.
- The source drive was physically disconnected or lost power mid-backup.
- The source drive is approaching end of life, with increasing read errors under load.
Note: if the read failures are caused by the VSS snapshot being deleted by Windows mid-backup (for example, due to shadow copy storage limits), BA612 is recorded instead and BA752 is suppressed.
Resolution¶
Resolution 1 - Check the source drive health (recommended)¶
- Open Windows Event Viewer on the machine where the backup ran and check the System log for disk error events (source: disk) around the backup start time. Look for entries indicating I/O retries or failures on a specific disk.
- Run a drive health check using "chkdsk /r" from an elevated Command Prompt, or use a vendor diagnostic utility for the drive, to confirm or rule out bad sectors.
- If the drive is failing, back up any unprotected data immediately using an alternative method, then replace the drive.
- Re-run the File Protection backup to confirm it completes without BA752.
Resolution 2 - Check the physical connection (external drives)¶
If the source drive is external (USB, eSATA):
- Check the cable and port. Try a different USB port or cable.
- Connect the drive directly to the machine rather than through a hub.
- Re-run the backup.
Resolution 3 - Identify affected files and assess data coverage¶
- Open BackupAssist. The job list is shown in the Overview.
- Locate the failed backup run and open its report.
- Expand the File Replication section and review the list of files that returned read errors.
- Arrange an alternative backup for any critical files that were not protected.
Note on the backup report¶
When BA752 is recorded, the backup report displays: One or more files could not be backed up and the job did not recover. Check the File Replication section for details. The File Replication section contains the individual file entries showing the error code and file path for each file that could not be read.
| Last updated | Created | Further assistance |
|---|---|---|
| 7th Aug 2026 | 7th Aug 2026 | BackupAssist Support page |